"Disclaimer: I received Knuckle Lights to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to find and write race reviews!"

Would you see me running in this high-visibility vest?

It’s a trick question. One I’ve had too much time to think about while logging the miles.

The answer is no.

Not if you were looking at your phone as you rolled through both the crosswalk and the stop sign.

The funny/not funny part of this is it happens to me most often crossing roads that go by our schools. My easy run with #stuntpuppy is a 5k loop that passes 3 schools, and already since election day, I’ve twice watched people roll on by without seeing me. (Both times, in the school zone.)

I use election day as a reference because one of the schools doubles as a voting place, and someone in a hurry to get home from the polls never saw me. It’s one of those moments you remember with too much clarity. It’s the first time I had an urge to chase a car—and I did make an effort—but the driver was speeding away before my chasing and waving to “wake up” and watch for fellow human beings could register.

Soon after that day, I bought a florescent vest, hoping to improve my odds.

Nope. Didn’t work.

It’s amazing what you don’t see when you think you have a moment to check your phone while rolling to a stop.

Lessons learned:

High-vis gear is no match for total distraction.

Note to self: Start copycatting my friend who puts her phone in the trunk—zero temptation that way.

What else might help? How about lights?!

I couldn’t be more grateful to @BibRave and @KnuckleLights for showing up at just the right time with an opportunity to test some BRIGHT handheld lights. We’ll see if they prove to be more of an attention-getter than high-visibility gear alone—so far, so good! I believe these lights in particular serve to tip the scales in favor of the runner because they tick all the boxes:

They're light enough to carry, even on long runs (just under 3 oz. each)

They're comfy enough it’s easy to forget you are wearing them

They’re adjustable enough they can fit over gloves or mittens, and back to bare hands as needed (they even get small enough for my small hands)

They’re easy enough to keep charged (just drop them in the desktop charger), so they’re always be ready to hit the road when you are.

The only other light I’ve run with to compare this to one came out of my backpacking gear—an ultralight, retractable Petzl headlamp. As the days got shorter and dusk kept sneaking up on me while I was still running, I tried the Petzl to improve my visibility (more so than lighting the way). It worked “ok” as a run light, though if had I not been wearing a winter hat, I don’t think it would have been super comfortable for running. Headlamps also create a “bobbing” light vs. a continuous beam like the Knuckle Lights—making the Knuckle Lights a clear choice for running in the dark or on a trail where you need a clear view to avoid obstructions, etc.

I’m excited to continue testing these lights and trying them out on other adventures. When Ironman finally rolls around, I could see using these on the run course, as lights are required after dark and I’m expecting to be rolling in during that timeframe. I wish there was a bike version—these are so much easier to charge than the current set of USB bike lights I’ve got! I'm also thinking these lights will give me another reason to be more confident to try more trail running as they seem really well suited for trails.

Where I really expect Knuckle Lights to “shine” most is on my typical gray-day winter run. I feel like the lights make me more visible, and give me a shot at getting a drivers attention if need be. (They certainly work to get the attention of kiddos in the house. 😉 )

A quick tip before I go—if the price seems high, consider getting a less fancy pair of running/winter gloves and invest more in lights instead. I've started using a cheap pair of knit gloves that come with screen-friendly fingers—and somehow the cheesy knit gloves seem to keep my always-freezing-cold hands warm (and work better with my Apple Watch) than other, fancier options. When it’s bitterly cold running weather (teens & below), I turn to my Turtle Gloves with heat packs tucked in the fold. Although that's a post for another day...

One more tip to help with the cost: Get a pair of Knuckle Lights now and save 10% with code "bibravepro"! Enjoy!

Feeling powerless after the recent loss of a friend to a cycling accident, I was at first frustrated by well-meaning suggestions about things like lights—that would not have made in a difference in her case. Fortunately, another friend helped me see that Karen, as a world-class triathlete, now has a special power to shine a "light" on cycling safety and help others. In that spirit, I've been thinking a lot about do-able things to be more visible and more safe on the road, until we can tackle root causes like road design and driver education—topics for another day.

1. Lights. Front & Back. Night & Day.There are plenty of good choices for lights out there, and if you're not night riding, just grab one, any one, that you'll actually use. My current favorite is the Planet Bike Spok Light Set 2.0. It's easy to use/move with a stretchy strap instead of hardware, and with a long battery life, these won't get forgotten at home on the charger. If you're not already riding with day lights, please order a set today and we'll both feel better. :-)

2 & 3. Wear High Visibility Gear. Protect Your Noggin. In One Fell Swoop.I used to wear a high-visibility pink jersey which has since been retired because pink seemed to attract TOO much attention. Rather than building a new cycling wardrobe of hi-vis gear, it turns out there's a simpler solution—a high-vis helmet! Thanks to the Twitter chats hosted by the cool kids at BibRave, I won a Rudy Project Sterling Helmet and chose hi-vis yellow. Although a Rudy helmet isn't cheap, it's cheaper than buying a new hi-vis wardrobe—and a whole lot simpler. It's also amazingly comfy and well-engineered; topics for another post!

4. Wear a Road ID.It's not fun to think "what would happen if...", but if you're "lucky" enough to make it through a crash, you want the first responders to know all your critical health and contact information. These days, I wear my Road ID 24x7, making it one less thing to think about when I'm headed out for a ride or run. Road ID makes so many great styles, colors and "trinkets" it's easy to personalize one you'll want to wear all the time. Here's a $5 Road ID Discount to help you get started—no excuses now! ;-)

5. Share Your Whereabouts.In my case, sharing location updates is less about what-ifs and more about peace of mind for those who care about me. As my training rides and runs get longer in duration and further away from home, it's nice for my "support crew" to check in and see how I'm progressing on the planned route.

I've tried several methods for SOS and live tracking, including the now defunct Kickstarter project Bia, as well as subscribing to the premium version of Map My Ride exclusively for its live tracking feature. Happily, this season the market seems to finally be catching up with the desire for tracking features, and at least two new options are available: Strava (Premium) offers a "Beacon", and Road ID recently launched a FREE beta app with both live tracking and a "stationery alert" that notifies your emergency contact if you stop moving for more than 5 minutes, as well as showing your emergency contact information on the lock screen of your phone. Whichever live tracking method you choose, sharing is caring!

6. Chose Your Route CarefullyThough it is clearly the least sexy option on this list, route choice makes a difference. Admittedly, I spend a lot more time on the trainer inside just so I don't have to deal with all the factors that go into riding safely outside. But I do enjoy riding outside, and I do believe it's necessary for some percentage of triathlon training to be outdoors in order to be well-prepared for race day.

When it comes to choosing routes, I'm incredibly picky and would generally rather ride alone and chose roads based on my own (anti)risk profile. This means there is not a lot of variety in my rides, because there's a pretty limited set of roads that have little traffic and aren't falling apart. And there's a pretty limited way to ride them, because it's safest to take a circular route that uses only right turns. Even with hi-vis gear on, left turns can go horribly wrong, and there are too many examples to prove it already. Plan for right turns where you can.

BONUS: In the Car: Take a Deep Breath & Be Patient Out ThereWhile we can't change how everyone else drives, we can set a good example on the days we aren't riding. On so many rides I see drivers that are clearly impatient and causing issues where there don't need to be any—it might literally take a few extra seconds to hang back and wait to pass when there isn't an oncoming car. In many states, passing a bike like it is a car is the LAW, albeit a law better known to cyclists than to many drivers.

Though I can only speak for myself, I know there are days when I'm feeling rushed and/or are distracted by other things going on when I get in the car. These days, I practice getting in the car and taking a deep breath to settle in and concentrate on what I'm about to do. Sometimes I think we forget the average car is 2 tons of metal hurtling down the road at 55 miles per hour, and can cause irreparable harm if we're not very careful.